Academy Review - Week 35
Written by Ian Tilley & Holly Porter Upcoming Fixture – Week commencing 21st April 2025
Wednesday 23rd April
12:30 – Southend United U19 v Woking U19; National League Academy - South Division
Garons Park, Southend-on-Sea SS2 4FA
This is the penultimate week of the season, with two fixtures next week to bring the season to a close. For up-to-date information on fixtures please refer to the Woking Football Club Academy X (twitter) page.
Information is also available on the fulltime.thefa.com website.
The Academy website, where you can also find details of the Elite Development Squad launch, is wokingcitc.org
Match Report and Team Details – Week commencing 14th April 2025
Wednesday 16th April
Woking U19 1 - 2 Maidstone United U19; National League Academy - South Division
Woking College, Rydens Way
Report from Holly Porter
Following two tough opponents in the last two fixtures, the u19s took to Woking College this week to complete the challenge of the top 3 teams in 3 weeks in their final home game of the season.
With just two changes to the side that drew to Oxford City last week, Stevens returned to the starting eleven at the expense of Silverstein, and Mitchell made the starting lineup ahead of Ampah.
A strong first-half showing from the Cards began with an early chance for Christophers, whose effort from the edge of the box in the 3rd minute was met by Maidstone ‘keeper Chris Swift but showed hunger from the home side from the outset.
The closest that Maidstone went to a goal in the opening 10 minutes was a 9th-minute ball which flashed across the goalmouth, but no one was there to turn it in. The away side went close again in the 14th minute, with a corner ball which was met by the strong punch of Honey before the follow-up shot went just wide of the left post.
Woking strung a quick move forward in the 17th minute which looked to be threatening. Smith found Mitchell’s overlapping run down the left side, and the delivery into the box looked promising, but it was just out of Boxall’s reach, and the sides remained on level footing.
This sums up the opening 20 minutes of the game, where both sides looked threatening on the attack, but a lack of final product meant the scoreline did not reflect the pace of the game.
This changed in the 26th minute, however, when Mitchell proved his place in the starting eleven. He picked up a loose ball in the middle of the Maidstone half, and drove into the box, having done well to break away from the defence. The away ‘keeper came off his line to meet the shot, but Mitchell got a crucial touch on the effort which sent the ball into the bottom left corner.
The advantage fuelled the Cards to double their tally, with Boxall the next to get an effort away. His 29th-minute effort from the edge of the area, however, was crucially blocked by Maidstone, who showed an initial desire to get straight back level, with a diving header at the back which went just wide straight after.
In the 32nd minute, Maidstone won a free kick just outside the box, another opportunity for the travelling side to draw level. The set-piece was fired goalward, but the shot was just wide.
After Mitchell’s goal, the momentum remained with the Cards for much of the second half. Two shots in quick succession from Smith presented two good opportunities for a second as the first-half entered the final 10 minutes. Both efforts from around the edge of the area, however, were destined for the same outcome, as the efforts floated over the crossbar.
Woking kept the pressure high as they closed a strong first-half performance. In the 41st minute, Scott did well to keep hold of the ball under high pressure and won his battle to get the ball to Mitchell. The goal scorer was closed down quickly, however, and he could not get his shot away.
In the 43rd minute, a second looked to be on the cards, with Smith capitalising on a poor touch from the away defence, which allowed him to drive in behind and get his effort away from a wide angle. Maidstone’s no.1 got a strong glove to the effort, however, which limited the Cards to a narrow half-time advantage, despite a performance which deserved more.
Half-time: Woking 1 – 0 Maidstone United
The first chance of the second half fell Woking’s way, with a low free kick from just outside the box which found Stevens in the goalmouth moments after kick-off. The effort from Stevens, however, did not have the power to trouble the ‘keeper, and the ball was easily collected.
The momentum created in the first half by the Cards was interrupted by the break, and despite the early chance for Woking, it was their counterparts that were able to heighten their performance in the second half, the turning point for which was a 54th-minute penalty which was converted by Ashton Mitford and drew the teams back level.
In the 59th minute, a great save from Honey denied the visitors the lead. The Woking no.1 got down to his right to block the edge of the box shot, which kept the sides level for the time being.
This was changed as we entered the final 20 minutes of play, with a corner which was delivered into an overcrowded penalty area, with the shot taking a deflection from the Woking defence before it hit the back of the net.
Woking created several good chances to get back into the game after the setback. In the 75th minute, Scott was presented with a golden opportunity to wipe Maidstone’s second. A ball over the top to Mitchell had to be cleared by Maidstone’s ‘keeper, who had come out of his box in an attempt to clear the danger. The clearance fell to Scott, whose eyes lit up at the sight of the empty net, but the effort from almost the halfway line went narrowly over the bar.
Involved again, Scott went close in the 76th minute, after he found himself in the box, in much closer range than the previous effort, but this time the shot went just wide.
A key moment for substitute Ampah fell in the 86th minute, with the dying stages of the game having presented a number of chances for the Cards to get at least a point out of the fixture. Scott’s delivery could not be reached by Ampah, however, and the home side remained in their one-goal deficit. Into injury time, Scott placed another great ball across the goalmouth, but as with before, no one was there to finish it off.
The final phase of attacking play fell to the young Cards, in the 5th and final minute of stoppage time. Brook was released in the area and tried to get his shot away, but the effort was blocked, with one final opportunity from the resulting corner. The away side were able to defend the set-piece, which forced the full-time whistle, and inflicted a cruel defeat, as Maidstone retook their position as league leaders.
Reflecting on the game, Academy Manager Matt Winter stated: “I think we probably summed up our season today. We did really well the first half, got ourselves in front, and we talked at half-time about having to ride and weather some storms and the aim was to try and get the second goal and make life a little bit more comfortable, but we gave away a bad penalty, disappointing, probably happened quite often this season, and then unmarked from a set-piece which is annoying and frustrating to take.”
Woking Lineup: Bob Honey, Louie Boyle, Ryan Scott, Jermaine Junior Young (Harvey Brook 87’), Tom Gardner ©, Harrison Stevens, Jack Lewis (James Orton 70’), Leo Christophers, Ben Mitchell (Jojo Ampah 78’), Lucas Boxall, Jayden Smith. Unused substitutes: Henry McDonald, Aidy Silverstein.
Goalscorer: Ben Mitchell 26’.
Referee: Paz Morreale.
Loan (Dual Registered Players) watch:
Tuesday 15th April
Oliver Mason , Central Midfield, 3rd year – Ascot United: Was on the substitutes bench for the 0 – 0 draw at Hanworth Villa in the Isthmian League - South Central Division (Step 4).
Henry McDonald , Centre Midfield, 3rd year – Camberley Town: Played the full game in the 1 – 1 draw against Fleet Town in the Combined Counties League – Premier Division South (Step 5).
Playing the first-half on the left side of a midfield three Henry was diligent in his defensive duties and showed good creative touches in building attacks. A change in formation at half-time allowed Henry a more attacking midfield role, and on 49 minutes he opened the scoring, hitting his shot first time, from outside the penalty area, into the empty net when Finley Purcell in the Fleet goal mishit his clearance straight to Henry, reaping the benefit of his excellent reading of the game and chasing down of the play.
Henry’s work rate didn’t diminish, even after a total of over 100 minutes of play, and he was unfortunate not to be on a winning side in Camberley’s final game of the season, Fleet equalising through Tommy Taylor after a goalmouth scramble on 59 minutes.
Saturday 19th April
Oliver Mason , Central Midfield, 3rd year – Ascot United: Came on as a 73rd minute substitute in the 2 – 0 victory at Sutton Common Rovers in the Isthmian League - South Central Division (Step 4). With two games remaining Ascot are not yet guaranteed of their place in the promotion play-off positions.
Ben Mitchell , Forward, 3rd year - Knaphill: Came on as a 60th minute substitute in the 0 – 5 defeat at Tadley Calleva in the Combined Counties League – Premier Division South (Step 5). A seventh-place finish to the season for Knaphill.
Byron Mitchell , Forward, 2nd year – Sheerwater: Came on as a 66th minute substitute in the 0 – 4 defeat at Balham in the Combined Counties League – Premier Division South (Step 5).
Sheerwater, already assured of a lower mid-table finish, were four down within 40 minutes, an error strewn display helping Balham to the victory which would save them from relegation at the expense of Sandhurst Town.
It was difficult for Byron to come on and help lead the attack in these circumstances. Byron spent more time tracking back, so it was his tireless running which caught the eye, rather than any opportunities to have an impact going forwards. We wish him all the best as he now joins Sam Brittain and Harvey Brook in the NCAA in America.
Aidy Silverstein , Central Defender, 2nd year – Blackfield & Langley: Played the full game in the 1 – 0 victory against Millbrook in the Wessex League – Premier Division (Step 5). A winning end, at least, to a relegation season for Blackfield.
Harry White , Goalkeeper, 2nd year – Sandhurst Town: Played the full game in the 0 - 1 defeat at Jersey Bulls in the Combined Counties League - Premier Division South (Step 5).
With a points deduction for fielding an ineligible player looking like it was going to cost Jersey the league title that would have been secured by victory, Sandhurst may have felt they had more of a chance of securing the win that would save them from relegation, but it wasn’t to be, with Balham’s run of seven wins from their last ten games ensuring Sandhurst’s relegation.
As has often been the case this season, it was Harry’s excellent goalkeeping which kept Sandhurst in the game, but ultimately his outstanding contribution to Sandhurst throughout the season was to end in relegation.